A video showing an officer testing out whether eating hot cross buns makes you drunk has gone viral on social media and it has had people scared.
In the video the officer blows into a breathalyzer scanner and the scan reads out a 0.00.
After the officer takes a few bites of the bun and blows into the breathalyzer the second time the scanner reads 0.21.
We’re in trouble!
— Tumi Sole (@tumisole) April 17, 2019
Especially during the Easter Weekend with Hot Cross Buns ??
Surely there must be some malfunction here?
If this is true, imagine the unlawful arrests!
You eat 3 of these buns, you’re done!
Can the authorities clarify please! pic.twitter.com/T9k4dmrV5C
Simple explanation: Many foods & drink contain traces of alcohol. Handheld Breath Alcohol Testers detect mouth alcohol as breath alcohol. That's why instructions say DO NOT USE within 20 mins of consumption of food or drink. EBAT eliminates mouth alcohol @BreathalyserGuy @SADD_SA https://t.co/7Qy54zhB6p
— Justice Project SA (@JPSAorg) April 17, 2019
This had us thinking, can you be prosecuted for eating your favourite Good Friday buns?
The SunTeam decided to get an over-the-counter breathalyzer scanner and tried the test.
With our scanner the result remained negative.
Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Simon Zwane says that people should not be worried though.
Zwane says that you cannot be prosecuted from the results of a scanner.
"Only results from a blood test and the Evidential Breath Alcotest Machine (EBAT) can lead to prosecution," Zwane said.
The EBAT system is able to distinguish between mouth alcohol and breath alcohol.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Head of Traffic and Licensing Warren Prins explained that the viral video is the first draft of a training video.
“It is intended to illustrate the difference between a mouth sample and a lung sample. The reading in the video, is similar to a video taken in Australia previously, indicates a mouth sample and not a lung sample,” Prins says.
“A hot cross bun has raisins, sultanas and yeast that ferments when consumed.
"When a breathalyser test is done immediately after eating a bun, it will register a high alcohol level due to the effects of all these elements on the breath content.
However, when a test is taken a minute later, it will again register a reading of 0.00.” Prins explained.
